Otr- Norse FigureMortal

The Shapeshifter

Ótr was one of three sons of the sorcerer-king Hreidmar, along with Fáfnir and Regin. His name is the Old Norse word for "otter," and he lived up to it: he spent his days in otter form, fishing rivers and waterfalls, catching salmon by the bank.

Death by Loki's Hand

One day, Ótr was fishing in his otter form at Andvari's waterfall when the gods Odin, Loki, and Hœnir passed by on their travels. Loki saw the otter eating a salmon on the riverbank and killed it with a stone, boasting of catching both an otter and a salmon with a single throw. The gods skinned the otter and took it with them. When they sought lodging at Hreidmar's hall that evening, the sorcerer recognized his son's skin and seized the gods in fury, demanding weregild for the killing.

The Otter's Ransom

Hreidmar demanded that Ótr's skin be stuffed and covered entirely with gold. Loki was sent to obtain the ransom and captured the dwarf Andvari at his waterfall, taking all his gold including the ring Andvaranaut. Andvari cursed the ring and the entire hoard, declaring it would bring death to whoever possessed it. The gods paid the ransom, covering every hair of Ótr's skin with gold, though one whisker remained exposed until Odin placed Andvaranaut upon it.

The curse worked quickly. Fáfnir murdered his father Hreidmar to seize the hoard, then turned into a dragon and coiled around the gold on Gnitaheðr.